You win some, you lose some.No matter how exciting other Dire Straits performances from
this period might be, be they the 1977 demos that surfaced elsewhere, or the
BBC live disc in their official discography, the fact is they could also be
deadly dull at times - and this show, excellent sound quality
notwithstanding, is proof of that.The band just doesn’t seem to get into the set.They hit the right notes and they keep
the right beat, but song after song floats by without an iota of the energy
that made Dire Straits such an exhilarating concert experience.And, without that, what was the bulk of
their repertoire but a clutch of post-Pub Rock blues, struggling to survive in
the world of Punk Rock? It’s all one long yawn, and even the closing “Sultans
of Swing” doesn’t salvage things. - Dave
Thompson